Weekly Email Update 4.5.21

Weekly Email Update 4.5.21

"Ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part." 
Representative John Lewis
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Georgia's 5th District
1987-2020

   Georgia has been on the forefront of many of our minds this year, WeCAN friends, and we'd like to offer an up a convenient way to help the residents of Georgia try to overturn the egregious voting bills that have been signed into law. Join Fair Fight Action and the New Georgia Project to help amplify the voices of Georgia voters right from your home in Windham County, Vermont. Details are below: 

Make Voter Protection Phone Calls with Fair Fight Action. We are talking to Georgia voters in counties with one polling location, asking them about their experiences voting and documenting irregularities. It’s one more way FFA is fighting for free and fair elections in Georgia. Sun, Tues, Wed, Thurs, and Sat phone banks: training and support provided. Sign up for a guided phone bank with Fair Fight.   /   Phone Bank Sign Up   /   Texting Sign Up*

Sign Up to Text with the New Georgia Project. They are finding creative ways to push back against voter suppression bills! They use ThruText and have excellent support on Slack. Sign up directly with New Georgia Project.*

* https://www.leanleftvt.org/state-actions-1

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HAPPENING TODAY, SUNDAY, APRIL 4th, 2021

Community Conversations with Representative Emilie Kornheiser
Sunday, April 4th, 2021, Online. 11am.
Please register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEtce-grD4rGNxo9FEE3R8zKpRSj_qBTz03 . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Emilie Kornheiser, State Representative for Windham 2-1, invites you to join her weekly office hours: Sundays at 11am. We’ll talk about what’s happening in the legislature and in our town. Open conversation format-- come for the full hour or just stop by for a few minutes to share a particular concern or question. 

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HAPPENING THIS WEEK, MONDAY, APRIL 5th, 2021-SUNDAY, APRIL 11th, 2021

Vermont Food Bank’s Veggie Van Go Upcoming Schedule
The First and Third Mondays of Every Month in the parking lot across the street from the main entrance to Brattleboro Union High School (131 Fairground Road, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 10am-11:30am. 
Veggie Van Go is a program through the Vermont Foodbank that gives out free produce and local food for people to take home.
Monday, April 5th, 2021
Monday, April 19th, 2021
Monday, May 3rd, 2021
Monday, May 17th, 2021
Monday, June 7th, 2021
Monday, June 21st, 2021

Important information:

  • Drive through model- please stay in your vehicles
  • If you are walking there: see a Vermont Foodbank associate but please make sure to stay 6 feet back.
  • There are no income requirements, registration or paperwork to participate
  • You do not need to be present to get food: you may ask someone to pick up on your family's behalf.

For questions, please contact the WSESU VVG Program Coordinator:
Kira Sawyer-Hartigan, WSESU
53 Green Street
Brattleboro, VT 
[email protected]
(802)254-3730

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Everyone Eats! 
Monday, April 5th, 2021-Thursday, April 8th, 2021 at the C.F Building (80 Flat Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 4pm-6pm. Masks required. PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE EARLY.  If you have any questions visit https://www.brattleboro.com/everyoneeats/ or contact Frances Huntley [email protected]. Organizational ordering information is listed under our Free and Nutritious Food in Windham County section further along in this email. 
Everyone Eats! is a program which will distribute meals from Brattleboro restaurants to anyone in need who lives in Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, Putney, or Vernon, free of charge, through December 11th. There will be 850+ meals/day available Monday through Thursday to serve our community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pick up for individuals will be at the C.F. Church Building at 80 Flat St in Brattleboro and group/institution orders can be picked up at Mama Sezz in West Brattleboro. All meals are available Monday-Thursday between 4pm and 6pm until supplies run out.
If you have extra produce from your garden, there will be a wheelbarrow you can drop it off in on your way out of the pickup site. Participating restaurants will use the donated produce in making more meals.
The meals are free, but if you would like to make a monetary contribution to help make more meals possible for others, it will be gratefully received. The base cost of each meal is $10 but any amount will be appreciated.
Each restaurant will contribute meals two or more days a week. You will receive one individually packaged cold ready-to-eat or heat & serve dinner for each person you request a meal for. Meals will be distributed cold, so if you are driving a distance, delivering to other households, or distributing through your organization, consider bringing a cooler if you can.

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Putney Equity and Inclusion Committee Meeting
Monday, April 5th, 2021, Online. 6:30pm-8pm.

Interested in supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in Putney? 
Join the town of Putney in working towards new goals and organization for the Equity and Inclusion Committee -
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84515956117...
Meeting ID: 845 1595 6117
Passcode: 234918
One tap mobile
+16465588656,,84515956117#,,,,*234918# US (New York)
+13017158592,,84515956117#,,,,*234918# US (Washington DC)
Dial by your location
       +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 845 1595 6117
Passcode: 234918
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcElvI51Wc

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White Supremacy Culture: What It is and What To Do About It with Mary Gannon and Friends
Part of the Brattleboro Democracy Forum
organized by We Celebrate Democracy Civil Rights For All: Positive non violent public action for Democracy and civil rights for all
Tuesday, April 6th, 2021, Online. 6:30pm.
The meeting will be recorded and aired on BCTV and WVEW. You can find the Zoom information below. For more information please go to wecelebratedemocracycivilrightsforall.org , contact [email protected] , or call  802 464 3154.
WHITE SUPREMACY CULTURE -
Racism often refers to acts of overt, intentional prejudice and a social order that debases people of color while glorifying whiteness. But white supremacy is a systemic and structural phenomenon woven throughout our culture—rather than just the work of racist individuals who intentionally and maliciously discriminate. Our institutions and social practices themselves prop up white advantage and protect white communities, while making communities of color vulnerable to exploitation, domination, and violence.
What actions are needed to repair ourselves in order to identify and dismantle white supremacy culture? This discussion will incorporate the pre-session resources listed below. Copy the URL into your search bar to have a look. General discussion will follow Mary’s presentation. Please take part.
This discussion will incorporate the pre-session resources listed below. Click on the link or copy the URL into your search bar to view the material.
https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/white-supremacy-culture.html
https://www.nea.org/resource-library/white-supremacy-culture-resources
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/10/the-language-of-white-supremacy/542148/
https://www.uua.org/files/documents/gardinerwilliam/whiteness/white_supremacy_us.pd
Mary Gannon is a racial equity and social justice educator and organizer.  She is on the Executive Committee for the Windham County NAACP and a Board Member with the Rights and Democracy Institute. She has engaged with school districts and professional education associations; state and municipal government agencies; state and local law enforcement agencies; mental health care agencies and nonprofits.  Mary believes in the possibilities of local and state partners working collectively to develop institutional policies and practices that will respond more effectively to the urgent nature and impact of racism and other forms of white supremacy culture across the state. She has a strong interest in supporting the development of community coalitions across the state of Vermont where racial inequities can be addressed using sustainable strategies and the representation of all voices.
To join the Zoom meeting copy this URL into your search bar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85067395560?pwd=blZnOGFZVndraG1uTFFuamhjN0dWQT09
Meeting ID: 850 6739 5560
Passcode: 710771
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,85067395560#,,,,*710771# US (Washington DC)
+13126266799,,85067395560#,,,,*710771# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location
        +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
        +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
        +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
        +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 850 6739 5560
Passcode: 710771
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kvjnZpe4R

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Outside of Windham County
Rally for the Right to Health!
hosted by the VT Workers’ Center
Wednesday, April 7th, 2021, on the VT Statehouse Lawn (115 State St, Montpelier, VT 05633). 4pm. For more info: email [email protected] or call (802) 257-4436. Meet on the Statehouse lawn in the courtyard by the Pavilion building. Please adhere to COVID-19 protocols, including staying home if you feel ill. Can't make it? Tune in to watch live on the VWC Facebook page.
On World Health Day, April 7th, the Vermont Workers’ Center is holding a rally outside Governor Scott’s office to demand that his administration puts an end to privatization and profiteering in the healthcare system.
The rally will be family friendly and physically distanced, and will feature song- and story-sharing and the delivery of petitions calling on Governor Scott to:
+Expand Medicaid to everyone, regardless of income or immigration status
+Investigate for-profit nursing homes and establish safe staffing ratios
+Cut the OneCare contract and fulfill the promise of a universal, public healthcare system
+Call on the Biden administration to lift the patents and treat Covid-19 vaccines as a global public good
And mark your calendar for an art-build the evening of Friday, April 2nd to prepare for World Health Day -- Details to are located above, in this email. 

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Book Discussion with 350 Brattleboro: All We Can Save
Wednesday, April 7th, 2021, Online. 7pm-8:30pm.
Come early at 6:45pm for extra time to mingle. Thank you to Everyone's Books for offering 25% off of print copies of the book! Pre-registration required: https://us02web.zoom.us/.../tZcrc...
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. More about the book and project here
www.allwecansave.earth/
Our first discussion of this book was so fruitful, we're hosting another one! Join 350 Brattleboro and friends for a follow-up discussion of the book All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis. Read parts or all & stay tuned for which essays we'll feature. Come with your ideas & inspiration, and we'll discuss ways we can take action locally!

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Marlboro Community Food Share
hosted by the Marlboro Community Center
Thursday, April 8th, 2021, and every Thursday, at the Marlboro Community Center (524 South Road, Marlboro, VT, 05344). 4:30pm-5:30pm.
Every Thursday from 4:30pm-5:30pm the Marlboro Community Center invites you to fill a grocery bag with non-perishables and fresh local produce. No registration or eligibility required. This weekly opportunity is available for anyone who could use an extra bag of groceries or knows someone who does.
Food will be set up in the entry-way to the Marlboro Community Center. For proper social distancing, please enter one person at a time. Bring a grocery bag or use ours. Masks are required. Deliveries will be made through Marlboro Cares for those needing assistance. Please call Marlboro Cares at 802-258-3030 in advance to arrange a delivery.
To donate food:
Leave non-perishable food in the donation box at the Marlboro Post Office. It will be collected on a weekly-basis. (Please note that this box previously supplied the Deerfield Valley Food Pantry, which is now distributing food exclusively from VT Food Pantry) 
Gardeners and farmers are welcome to donate produce. Wear masks and wash hands when harvesting and handling food. Fresh produce can be dropped off at the Community Center on Thursday between 1pm and 4pm. (Any leftover produce will be taken to FoodWorks the following morning)

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Guilford Cares Food Pantry: NEW LOCATION!
Thursday, April 8th, 2021 (and every Thursday) at the Guilford Fairgrounds (163 Fairground Rd, Guilford, VT 05301). 5pm-6pm.
If you have questions, concerns or would like to donate groceries or monetary gifts please contact Pat Haine 802-257-0626. For additional questions or more information call 802 579 1350 or email [email protected].
Guilford Cares Food Pantry has moved! The Pantry has moved to the First Aid building at the Guilford Fairgrounds. We will be fully stocked with all our usual grocery items.
The Fairgrounds are on Fairground Road, just off Weatherhead Hollow Road. From Guilford Center Road turn onto Weatherhead Hollow Road. Travel 1.7 miles down the road. The Fairgrounds are on the left and there will be a sign directing you up the hill for about .2 miles. The red building is on the left with a sign out in front. Please remain in your car; we’ll greet you,  and give you a shopping list as we have been doing for the past year.
If the Pantry will be closed for any unexpected reason, the closure will be announced on WKVT, WTSA, and Front Porch Forum.
If you cannot come to the Pantry due to illness or high risk, you can call also call Pat to arrange for food delivery by a volunteer.
We know that supplemental food can make such a big difference in one's budget. That is why we are stocking our shelves for our neighbors. All are welcome to come and take home fresh produce, staples, meat, dairy.
Guilford Cares welcomes anyone in need of supplemental food for themselves or their families.

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Bystander Intervention Conversation/Training
hosted by Human Rights Commission, VT and the Peace & Justice Center
Thursday, April 8th, 2021, Online. 5:30pm-7:30pm.
To register: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUvc-qhpzsuGdYeD2_zmfzfhcwJULHmcgar
Join trainers from Central Vermont Showing up for Racial Justice, the Peace and Justice Center, and the Vermont Human Rights Commission to learn about the tools needed to effectively intervene as a bystander.
Reflect on: The specific tactics that work
Reflect on: What you need more of and find places where you can continuously engage in this work.
Welcome all, to become a Bystander Interventionist!

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Putney Foodshelf Weekly Open Hours
Saturday, April 10th, 2021, at 10 Christian Square, Putney, VT, 05346. 9am-11am.
Message us on our FB page HERE, call 802.387.8551, or email [email protected] with questions. www.putneyfoodshelf.org.
Curbside Open Hours. All are welcome - we just ask you to provide your town of residence and number in household for our data tracking purposes.
Stay in your car, please. Volunteers will take your order and bring out boxes of food, including nonperishable items, fresh produce, paper goods, meat, and dairy products.

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Community Building and Reconciliation Circles for Putney, VT: Community Restoration in 2021 and Healing from National Trauma
hosted by Restorative Justice of Southern VT
Saturday, April 10th, 2021, Online. 3pm-5pm.
In April, we plan to facilitate a series of four circles, all free, each addressing different aspects of community, both in Putney and in the United States as a whole. We invite anyone who is interested in having these conversations to join us every Saturday in April and talk about how to strengthen communities in times of trauma and unrest. Dates and descriptions for these circles are provided below. Please message us on Facebook or email [email protected] if you are interested and we will be happy to provide you with the Zoom link and any relevant resources for the circles!
Recently, conversation abounds as to whether 2021 will be a "better" year than 2020. We at RCJSVT believe that there are steps individuals and communities can take to ensure that 2021 is, if not "better," more restorative than 2020. Although we are only a month into 2021, already tensions are running high, perhaps in part due to the expectations many people hold for this year. We want to hear your voices, sit in circle, and engage in a dialogue about what we can all do to respond to issues that arise this year in ways that heal rather than harm. In the first circle, we will think about questions like, "How can we uphold our values in the face of crises?" and "How can we promote social healing without overlooking our own health?" In the second circle, we will focus specifically on the impacts on the nation of the trauma we have shared in the past few years due to COVID-19, political unrest, and other events. Let's talk about how to find balance, accountability, healing, and more.
All circles will be facilitated by Dan DeWalt, Laurie Rabut, and/or Claire Summers. We hope you will join us and feel free to reach out with any questions!

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Coffee with Coffey
hosted by Sara Coffey, VT State Representative, Windham-1 district
Sunday, April 11th, 2021, Online. 3pm-4pm.

The Zoom link can be accessed HERE.
Please join me for one my monthly Coffee with Coffey hours. This is a great way to connect with neighbors and discuss the issues. During the session I will share updates, answer questions and hear about your priorities.


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UPCOMING EVENTS

Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holliday by Angela Y. Davis
presented by the Pioneer Valley Project Racial Justice Book Group
Monday April 12th, 2021, Online. 7pm-8:30pm.
Monday, April 26th, 2021, Online. 7pm-8:30pm.
The book group is free for PVP members. We request a $25 donation (or other amount that works for you) from non-members. Please register here: https://forms.gle/ihScrVQ3Ydjh5ZNm6.
We invite you to join this multi-racial and anti-racist, liberty filled space to learn, share and build community. "From one of this country's most important intellectuals comes a brilliant analysis of the blues tradition that examines the careers of three crucial black women blues singers through a feminist lens. Angela Davis provides the historical, social, and political contexts with which to reinterpret the performances and lyrics of Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday as powerful articulations of an alternative consciousness profoundly at odds with mainstream American culture."

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I Am…2021: The Business of Creativity: Getting Our Work Into the World
Thursday, April 15th, 2021, Online. 7pm.
Please register for this event HERE. For more information and to pre-register, visit vermontartscouncil.org/iam2021. Closed captioning will be provided for these events. We invite you to contact us with specific accommodations you need to facilitate your participation in the workshop. We will make every effort to honor your requests when they are made two weeks prior to the event. Contact Michele Bailey, 504/ADA coordinator at [email protected].
Five featured artists discuss how they bring business and strategy to their creativity. Left brain meets right brain in this conversation about the partnership between art and the business of making art.
Nineteen artists from the I am a Vermont Artist series will exhibit work in our new online gallery from Feb. 16 through April 30, and on the third Thursday of each month we will host a Zoom gathering so that audiences can engage with the artists directly.
The virtual exhibit will consist of a group gallery with select work from each featured artist and individual galleries with up to five pieces from an artist. 
Part of the Vermont Art Council’s mission is to expand access to the arts for all people, regardless of background. Vermont is not often thought of as a diverse state, but people of every stripe call this place home, and the different experiences they bring make our communities rich and vibrant.
To celebrate Vermont’s diversity and deepen our state’s creative identity, the Council began publishing the I am a Vermont Artist interview series in early 2019. Two years on from the series’ launch, the Council has published over 30 interviews with artists, exploring how their creative expressions reflect their experiences of ethnicity, gender identity, religion, disability, or age—and the group continues to grow.

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Red Cross Blood Drive at the Winston Prouty Campus
Saturday, April 17th, 2021
Saturday, May 22nd, 2021
Saturday, June 26th, 2021
Saturday, July 24th, 2021
Saturday, August 28th, 2021
Saturday, September 25th, 2021
Saturday, October 23rd, 2021
Saturday, November 27th, 2021
Saturday, December 18th, 2021 at the Winston Prouty Center for Child and Family Development (Austine Drive, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 9am-3pm.
To help make these events possible by volunteering, please contact Lisa Whitney at [email protected].
Winston Prouty and the American Red Cross are hosting monthly blood drives throughout 2021.The Red Cross has over 135 years of experience providing humanitarian aid including more than 75 years of supplying blood to those in need. Each pint of blood we collect can help save up to three lives and will touch the lives of so many more. What a great way to pay it forward and make an impact on people in our community and across the country.
You can participate by donating blood or by volunteering to help support the event (set-up/clean-up, registration, parking, etc).
Sign up to DONATE blood here:
https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=

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Community Building and Reconciliation Circles for Putney, VT:
Community Reconciliation
hosted by Restorative Justice of Southern VT
Saturday, April 17th, 2021, Online. 3pm-5pm.
Saturday, April 24th, 2021, Online. 3pm-5pm.

In April, we plan to facilitate a series of four circles, all free, each addressing different aspects of community, both in Putney and in the United States as a whole. We invite anyone who is interested in having these conversations to join us every Saturday in April and talk about how to strengthen communities in times of trauma and unrest. Dates and descriptions for these circles are provided below. Please message us on Facebook or email [email protected] if you are interested and we will be happy to provide you with the Zoom link and any relevant resources for the circles!
- Do current tensions in the community make you uneasy?
- Do you have ideas and/or experiences regarding Black Lives Matter, Antifa, White Supremacy, or Donald Trump and his adherents which make it difficult to trust your neighbors' intentions or fear their actions?
- Are you willing to participate in a restorative process that will allow you to articulate your feelings in a way that others can hear, and to hear the concerns and feelings of others?
Join RCJSVT for one or both of our community reconciliation circles, in which we can work through these challenging tensions in a safe and constructive manner, intended to help communication and respect flourish even where there is disagreement.
For these circles, we will ask you to confirm your participation in advance, so that you can have an "intake" or individual conversation with an RCJSVT facilitator prior to the circle. This helps to ensure that all participants are well prepared to express themselves and to actively listen to others in the circle.
Any outcome of these circles will be determined by the collective wisdom of the participants. RCJSVT will be there to ensure that the process is safe, equitable, and focused on the issues and relationships at hand.
Participation in our first two community circles is not required to attend these reconciliation circles, but it is strongly encouraged, especially for those without prior experience sitting in circle.
All circles will be facilitated by Dan DeWalt, Laurie Rabut, and/or Claire Summers. We hope you will join us and feel free to reach out with any questions!

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For the Love of Baskets: Spring Fundraiser for the United Way of Windham County
Sunday, April 18th, 2021-Sunday, April 25th, 2021, Online at www.32auctions.com/fortheloveofbaskets.

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Vermont Food Bank Food Drop
hosted by the Putney Foodshelf
Thursday, April 22nd, 2021
Thursday, May 27th, 2021
Thursday, June 24th, 2021 at Putney Meadows (17 Carol Brown Way, Putney, VT 05346). 9:30am-10:15am.
Everyone is welcome. No questions asked!
The Vermont Foodbank will be bringing food to Putney. There will be lots of produce along with other nonperishable food. The Vermont Foodbank truck will park on the side of the road in the big U (Alice Holway Drive).
Drivers: Shoppers will stay in their cars until called. Until further notice, shoppers can pick up for no more than two households.
Walkers: Stay tuned for instructions.
If you have never participated in this before, volunteers will be available to explain how it works!

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Pop-Up Book Club: All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis by Ayana Johnson
with Southern Vermont Young Professionals
Thursday, April 22nd, 2021, Online. 7pm.
Please register for the event HERE.
We will be discussing the first four chapters of All We Can Save by Ayana Johnson. The book is a provocative collection of essays and poems from women who are at the forefront of the climate movement. We hope this will be an engaging and inspiring discussion about the climate crisis and how we can help actively move humanity forward.
We have five hardcover copies available for free to YP members. Registrants should email [email protected] to receive pick-up instructions. The book is also available in audio and e-book formats. 

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2nd Annual Windham County NAACP Virtual Freedom Fund Dinner
Friday, April 23rd, 2021, Online. 7pm-8:30pm.

Tickets can be purchased online at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2nd-annual-freedom-fund-dinner-tickets-143866022145. For questions, please email: [email protected] 
This year’s Freedom Fund Dinner will be a very special evening, which includes a keynote address by Vermont State Senator Kesha Ram, the first woman of color and the youngest woman in history to serve in the Vermont State Senate.  Special music will be provided by St. Louis Songstress Olivia Neal whose voice is described as “A sound that is mixed with soul and inspiration.” Also, the poem, “The African American Challenge” will be read by its author, Wylene Branton Wood, and the Windham County NAACP Branch will present its annual Unsung Hero Award.

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Putney Anti-Racism Book Group: Stamped
hosted by the Putney Central School Leadership Council and the Putney Public Library
Sunday, April 25th, 2021, Online. 7pm-9pm.

For zoom info to join or for more information, contact [email protected] or 603.504.2906 -- you can also send a message through FB messenger.
Please join the Putney Central School Leadership Council and the Putney Public Library for a continuation of an anti-racism book group for all Putney families and community members.
Join us for a discussion of Stamped-Racism, Antiracism and You, written by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

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Seeing and Disrupting Racism
hosted by the Peace and Justice Center
Monday, April 26th, 2021, Online. 6pm-8pm.
Registration is required https://secure.lglforms.com/form.../s/S5zjD8Rln--4uAQXGUgFxg
Suggested donation $25 for residents of Vermont, $30 for those outside of Vermont, no one turned away for lack of funds. Not sure if you should pay less, nothing, or more? Check our Sliding Scale document for guidance. If you cannot donate, put 0. If you have any questions please contact Arima Minard [email protected] or 802.863.2345 x105.
This introductory-level workshop defines racism and white fragility, explores how white fragility perpetuates racism and its harmful impacts on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and challenges participants to consider what steps they can take to disrupt racism at every level. This workshop was developed for predominantly white audiences, but all are welcome and encouraged to attend. Space is limited, registration is required (register below). These workshops are not recorded.

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Building Power Happy Hour: Building a Strong Democracy 2021-2022 Kick-Off
hosted by Lean Left Vermont
Wednesday, April 28th, Online. 4:30pm-6pm. 
Join Lean Left Vermont for a Happy Hour kick-off to 2021/2022. Together, we’ll share our thoughts about our work in 2020, and the Lean Left Team will lay out the 2021/2022 strategy for building power and strengthening our democracy.
Bring your favorite beverage and join us on zoom for a toast to YOUR work!
Make your reservation here!

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Putney Anti-Racism Book Group: White Rage
hosted by the Putney Central School Leadership Council and the Putney Public Library
Sunday, May 23rd, 2021, Online. 7pm-9pm.
For Zoom info to join or for more information, contact [email protected] or 603.504.2906 -- you can also send a message through FB messenger.
Please join the Putney Central School Leadership Council and the Putney Public Library for a continuation of an anti-racism book group for all Putney families and community members.
Join us for a discussion of White Rage-The unspoken truth of our racial divide, written by Carol Anderson.

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Putney Anti-Racism Book Group: Caste
hosted by the Putney Central School Leadership Council and the Putney Public Library
Sunday, June 20th, 2021, Online. 7pm-9pm.
For Zoom info to join or for more information, contact [email protected] or 603.504.2906 -- you can also send a message through FB messenger.
Please join the Putney Central School Leadership Council and the Putney Public Library for a continuation of an anti-racism book group for all Putney families and community members.
Join us for a discussion of Caste-The Origins of Our Discontents, written by Isabel Wilkerson.

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COMMUNITY SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES

Susu CSA Sign Up
Our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) CSA (community supported agriculture) sign up is live! You can find the links to our sign up form in 4 different languages here: https://www.susucommunityfarm.org/bipoc-csa
CSA Details:
Pick up time: pick up or drop off on Wednesdays from 4-6pm
Dates: June 2nd-October 13th 
Cost: Free
Eligibility: Must live in Windham county within a 20 minute radius of Brattleboro, VT. 
Boxes available: We are happy to provide 30 boxes this year
The SUSU CSA Box of resilience is a 20 week free box of organically grown, culturally relevant veggies, medicinal herbs and other goodies from local VT businesses. You will also have access to free cooking, harvesting, medicine making classes and commUNITY gardening rituals.
These boxes are no cost to you...but this isn't a gift or some charity. This is your birthright. We believe that food and housing should be considered birth rights and not something that you work for. 
This year we will be growing Afroindigenous, culturally relevant veggies ourselves. This is our first year growing food with the earth so we ask for your patience with us in recognizing that the earth provides abundantly..and sometimes not in the way that we were envisioning. This is a process of leaning into trust and being led by the earth and sharing what they provide for us, even if it’s not exactly what we expected.
With that being said, we will also be supplementing our boxes with staple veggies and other items from local farmers. 
"There's nothing that heals the soul more than a home-cooked meal made with ingredients you are familiar with, and prepared by the hands of people who look like you."
-Paul O. Mims

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From the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance:
Your Vermont State Legislators need to hear from YOU on the following Bills and Resolutions:
1) Racism is a Public Health Emergency (Joint Resolution)
2) Abolish Slavery (PR.2)
3) Healthy Equity (H.210)
4) Economic Equity (H.406)
5) Land and Home Equity (H.273)
6) Cannabis Market Equity (H.414)
7) Reparations Task Force (H.387)
Please click HERE to find out more information and to email your representatives! Thank you. 

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Vermont Prison System Vaccinations
1 minute action to make a difference: Please call Governor Scott at (802) 828 3333 and ask that Prisoners in Vermont's system get vaccinated NOW. These folks are in a congregate system, many have underlying conditions with little to no control over their environment. Save a life today and make the call please. You can also email him HERE

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COVID 19 RESOURCES: VERMONT

CURRENT COVID19 CASE INFORMATION as of 12pm, April 2nd, 2021

New cases: 201 (19,755) (up 1000!+ total statewide cases from last week!)
Currently Hospitalized: 35 (+9 in Windham County from last week)
Hospitalized in ICU: 2
Hospitalized Under Investigation: 1
Deaths: 228 (+4 since last week)

Vaccine Data
Total received one dose: 
213,656
Total received both doses: 126,761

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Dr. Levine ‘very concerned’ about increased spread of COVID-19

Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, said at Friday’s press conference that although he is optimistic for the future, “when it comes to the present, frankly, I am very concerned.”
“Vermont is no longer the one ‘green’ state in a map of red COVID cases across the U.S.,” he said. “We are just like all the other states in our region — a region that is currently doing even worse than some other parts of the country — with more disease circulating right now.”
Although we are all tired of the pandemic, he said: “It’s not too late. We can still stop this rise in cases if we act now.”
Especially for those who are celebrating Easter and the other holidays being observed, this weekend is the time to start.
“With this much virus around, ANY gathering is risky,” Dr. Levine said. “If you do gather with people you don’t live with, keep it outside if you can, wear masks, double mask if you want to, and keep at least a 6-foot distance. For example, consider an outdoor easter egg hunt instead of all eating together.”
If you do travel and are not vaccinated (including children), make sure to quarantine afterward. And get tested — after travel or any possible exposure, or after a large gathering, or if you have any symptom of COVD-19.
State officials emphasized the need for people to strictly follow the health guidance, especially as the highly contagious variants take hold in the state. “I know this is difficult. But again, we’ve been at it for over a year, we just need to hang tough for a few more weeks,” said Dr. Levine.

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Vermonters Age 40 and Older Can Make Vaccine Appointments Starting Monday

Starting Monday, April 5th at 8:15 a.m., Vermonters age 40 and older will be able to make an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Going online to healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine is the fastest way to make an appointment, and there are enough slots at sites throughout Vermont for everyone who is eligible.
Click on the “Make an appointment” button to use the Health Department registration system. If you prefer to make your COVID-19 vaccine appointment through a participating pharmacy, you can find links on the same page to Kinney Drugs, CVS and Walgreens.
Anyone who is unable to make their appointment online, or who needs to speak with someone in a language other than English can call 855-722-7878.
Vaccination sites are available around the state, and people can choose a nearby location when making their appointment.

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The next groups’ eligibility dates are:

  • April 12: age 30+

  • April 19: age 16+

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He also cautioned Vermonters planning to celebrate upcoming holidays, beginning with Passover, followed by Easter and Ramadan soon after. “Though people are likely looking forward to spending time with family and friends, please follow the current gathering guidance,” Dr. Levine said.

See the remaining groups below:


When a new group of people is eligible, they can register online at healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine or by calling 855-722-7878. Vermonters are encouraged to create an account ahead of time so it will be easier to log in when it’s time to make an appointment.

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Covid 19 Pop-Up Testing

Testing is available for all. 
If you need testing, there are a variety of options available to you: your primary care provider, pop-up test sites and pharmacies. The Test Site Finder below can help you find other testing near you.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT POP-UP TESTING LOCATIONS
Here are the steps to set up a testing appointment at a pop-up testing site:

  • Register to get an account
  • Receive an email with your patient ID and use that to confirm your account (check your spam folder if you don't see the email)
  • Log in with your patient ID
  • Set up an appointment

Register for Pop-Up Testing Here

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Free In-Home Covid19 Testing
sponsored by United Way of Windham County
People who are in need of a covid test and do not have transportation should call VT Public Transit at 802-442-0629 or toll free at 1-833-387-7200. VT Transit will contact your provider to confirm and get necessary info. They are using an ambulance service thru VT Department of Health which will do FREE IN-HOME testing and then transport your specimen to a local lab. VT Transit takes initial info and contacts the local EMS and VDH.

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FREE HEALTHY AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD IN WINDHAM COUNTY

Brigid’s Kitchen, St. Michael’s Church, 47 Walnut Street, Brattleboro 802-254-6800 or 802-558-6072 
Grab-and-go lunches and fruit/nuts on Mon, Weds, Thus, and Sat, 11:30am-12:20pm.

Loaves and Fishes, Centre Congregational Church 193 Main Street, Brattleboro (802) 254-4730
Grab-and-go lunches on Tuesdays and Fridays at 12pm.

VT Foodbank and Veggie Van Go
will be at Brattleboro Union High School (Fairground Ave, Brattleboro, VT, 05301), in the parking lot, on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month, from 10am-11:30am. Drive up, touchless pickup. Walkers welcome, too. Call VT 211 for more information. 

Foodworks, the food shelf program of the Groundworks Collaborative https://groundworksvt.org (802) 490-2412, [email protected] 
Households in need of food are asked to call or email to coordinate delivery. There is an urgent need for volunteers, and Foodworks has set up protocols to keep staff, volunteers, and clients as safe as possible. Please email us at [email protected] if you are able to help.

Guilford Food Pantry 
Every Thursday at the BBCC (3940 Guilford Center Road, Guilford, VT, 05301). 5pm-6pm.
We know that supplemental food can make such a big difference in one's budget. That is why we are stocking our shelves for our neighbors. All are welcome to come and take home fresh produce, staples, meat, dairy. Guilford Cares welcomes anyone in need of supplemental food for themselves or their families.

Everyone Eats! at the C.F Building (80 Flat Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 4pm-6pm. Masks required. PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE EARLY.  If you have any questions visit https://www.brattleboro.com/everyoneeats/ or contact Frances Huntley [email protected]. Organizational ordering information is listed under our Free and Nutritious Food in Windham County section further along in this email. 
Everyone Eats! is a program which will distribute meals from Brattleboro restaurants to anyone in need who lives in Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, Putney, or Vernon, free of charge, Monday-Thursday through June 2021. 
Pick up for individuals will be at the C.F. Church Building at 80 Flat St in Brattleboro and group/institution orders can be picked up at Mama Sezz in West Brattleboro. All meals are available Monday-Thursday between 4pm and 6pm until supplies run out.
If you have extra produce from your garden, there will be a wheelbarrow you can drop it off in on your way out of the pickup site. Participating restaurants will use the donated produce in making more meals.
The meals are free, but if you would like to make a monetary contribution to help make more meals possible for others, it will be gratefully received. The base cost of each meal is $10 but any amount will be appreciated.
Each restaurant will contribute meals two or more days a week. You will receive one individually packaged cold ready-to-eat or heat & serve dinner for each person you request a meal for. Meals will be distributed cold, so if you are driving a distance, delivering to other households, or distributing through your organization, consider bringing a cooler if you can.

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ADDITIONAL COVID 19 RESOURCES CAN BE FOUND AT THEIR PERMANENT HOME ON OUR WEBSITE, HERE: https://www.wecantogether.net/covid19_resources

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RESOURCE FOR WeCAN

Rapid Response Text Alert System

When WeCAN began, Song & Solidarity set up a Rapid Response Text Alert System for WeCAN Groups. Directions for signing up are on WeCAN's website, here: https://www.wecantogether.net/rapid_response. We are grateful to Song and Solidarity for providing this service.

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ONGOING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING 

Indigo Radio
Sundays at 12pm on Brattleboro Community Radio 107.7FM. To stream live, visit: www.wvew.org 
Indigo Radio, deepening understanding and making connections! IndigoRadio is a group of area educators seeking to learn through engaging with others in our community and throughout the world. We will be talking about educational and social issues both globally and locally and connecting them to our lives and Brattleboro community. Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indigoradiowvew/. For archive recordings of past shows: https://soundcloud.com/user-654648353

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To those celebrating and observing holidays this weekend, we wish peace and light to you and all those you love. Until next week...

Your Friendly WeCAN Admins,

Joanna and Sam

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